About Aristocrat
In operation since 1953, Aristocrat has consistently been a
pioneer in the slot machine industry. Their first big break
through came with the 1956 release of The Clubmaster. It was the
first slot machine to offer game play features like scattered
pay outs and multiline play.
Publicly traded in Australia since 1997, the company secured
a license to operate in Las Vegas in 2000. Licensed to operate
in over 240 areas and over 90 countries, Aristocrat is truly a
world leader in the slot machine and casino industry.
Gameplay Features and Mechanics
Zorro is a standard five reel, 25 pay line video slot machine
which offers players low to mid-range variance. Each reel
contains three symbols so 15 symbols are in play at all times.
As a true penny slot, Zorro begins with a cost per credit of
just $0.01, but Aristocrat ensured that players of all bankroll
levels can enjoy the game by increasing the maximum wager per
payline to $5.00.
However, the game’s wide menu of bonus round offerings can
only be activated by pressing the Zorro Bonus button, which
automatically increases the minimum bet to $1.05 per spin. Also
known as the Ante feature, this Zorro Bonus button fundamentally
changes the base game by adding the Z, O, and R symbols to the
reels, while also allowing players the opportunity to trigger
bonus games.
Those who play the Zorro slots regularly confirm that
employing the Ante feature is the only way to enjoy this game’s
full functionality. Without pressing the Zorro Bonus button in
the lower right hand corner of the screen, your gameplay
experience will be entirely confined to the spin of the reels
and its associated pay table. While this may be acceptable for
some players, the vast majority of slot fans out there take
their seat with the bonus games in mind, and the only way you’ll
be able to trigger a bonus round is by activating Ante feature.
Fans of Aristocrat slot games will recognize the familiar
arrangement of wild and scatter symbols, free spins, bonus
games, and multipliers. The game doesn’t include a progressive
jackpot feature though, so players who prefer hunting for the
biggest scores out there may shy away from the Zorro slots. A
list of basic specifications for the Zorro slot machine can be
found below:
- Wilds: Yes
- Free Spins: Yes
- Multiplier: Yes, up to 10x
- Bonus Game: Yes, five unique bonus games are included
- Progressive: No
- Return to Player: 95.50%
The base game for Zorro offers a generous jackpot payout of
5,000 credits, which can be earned by landing five Zorro face
symbols on an activated pay line. Four of these symbols are good
four a payout of 500 credits, while three Zorro faces will pay
out 100 credits, and a pair of Zorro faces totaling 5 credits.
The base game also offers a variety of non-jackpot payouts
for lining up the correct combination of symbols on activated
pay lines. Score five Julianas on the screen and you’ll earn
2,000 credits. An arrangement of five Monasterios is good for a
payout of 1,000 credits, while five barrels will earn you 500
credits. Score five As and you’ll receive 300 credits, five Ks
or Qs for 250 credits, and five Js or 10s for a 150 credit
reward.
The wild symbol for the Zorro slots is represented by the man
himself, so when you see Zorro’s masked visage on the screen,
this symbol can substitute for any other symbol except the
scatter to form winning combinations. When you land three or
more of these wild symbols anywhere on the screen, the game will
provide you with three free spins.
The scatter symbol for the Zorro slots is represented by
Tornado, the hero’s black horse. By landing three of these
scatter symbols on any reel; you’ll receive an additional payout
multiplier of either three, 20, or 50 times the standard payout.
Triggering the Bonus Round
After you’ve activated the Zorro Bonus button, also known as
the Ante feature, spelling out Z-O-R-R-O on the same pay line
using the newly inserted letter symbols will trigger the bonus
round. Another way to trigger the bonus round is to land six of
the flaming Z symbols anywhere on the screen.
Rather than a single predetermined bonus game, the Zorro slot
machine mixes things up by giving players a choice between four
unique offerings. Once you’ve triggered the bonus round, the
screen will change to present you with four different buildings.
The game then asks you which building you believe contains
the most gold or free credits. After you’ve made your selection,
four individual game screens will then appear, each one
representing one of the buildings. The reels for each game
screen spin in normal slot machine fashion, and any winning
combinations you land in your building’s screen are guaranteed
payouts. If your building happens to accumulate the most
winnings among the four, you’ll receive the accumulated winnings
from all flour buildings.
Along with the building choice bonus game, the Zorro slot
machine also includes four other bonus features that add variety
and excitement to the base gameplay.
Tornado Feature
The Tornado feature rewards players with a randomized cash
prize ranging from 50 to 500 credits.
Gold Coins Feature
The Gold Coins feature allows players to choose from an
assortment of gold coins until two matching prize totals are
revealed. Multipliers can also be revealed, and your final
payout on this feature will amount to the matched total times
any multipliers in play.
Wild Z Feature
The Wild Z feature awards players three free spins, and on
each on a wild Z symbol will appear and remain in place, giving
you multiple chances to land winning combinations.
Magic Door Feature
The Magic Door Feature lets players select from one of three
doors, revealing Zorro, Juliana, or Monasterio. After that, five
free spins are awarded and whenever you land the symbol for the
character in play, a cash prize is credited to your account.
Finally, the Barrels feature encompasses its own set of four
variations on the free spin games. Players can choose between
the four free spin options found below:
- 20 free spins, all wins containing Zorro are multiplied
by 2x
- 15 free spins, all wins containing Zorro are multiplied
by 2x, 3x or 4x
- 10 free spins, all wins containing Zorro are multiplied
by 3x, 5x or 8x
- 5 free spins, all wins containing Zorro are multiplied
by 5x, 10x or 15x
Zorro Slots: A Summary
While many serious slot players lament the lack of a
progressive jackpot on the Zorro game, Aristocrat’s inclusion of
so many bonus features should make up for that disappointment.
Graphically, the game leaves a little to be desired when
compared to other film themed titles, but overall the Zorro
machine captures the essence of this classic character. When
playing the Zorro slots, don’t forget to activate the Zorro
Bonus button. It’s also known as the Ante feature. This is
important because this will enable you to enjoy the game’s full
complement of features and bonus games.
